


all I wanna say is, I got the real thing

by idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo



Series: School Reunions and Other Places to Brag About Your Fiancé [2]
Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: M/M, can be read individually idc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:40:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo/pseuds/idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo
Summary: Ronan likes talking about his boyfriend/ partner/ fiancé. That's about it.
Relationships: Ronan Farrow/Jon Lovett
Series: School Reunions and Other Places to Brag About Your Fiancé [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622356
Comments: 4
Kudos: 71





	all I wanna say is, I got the real thing

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote part two!
> 
> title from I love You Like That. because I know how to keep a theme.
> 
> Obviously all very very fictional.

It's in one of the early meetings with the fact checkers from The New Yorker when it comes up.

They've been discussing further proceedings for a couple of hours now, making lists of sources and materials that Ronan has, people they have to contact, information they need to confirm. When it's time for a quick break (just long enough to go refill their coffee and get some snacks from the vending machine down the hall, never longer than that), Tammy Kim ducks out to take a call from her boyfriend.

Fergus and Ronan take a stroll to the coffee machine as if they were strolling down a river on a beautiful summer day instead of the dusty corridor of an office building at ten in the evening.

"So, you've got someone? A girlfriend, wife?" It's easy small talk but Ronan can't help the dumb grin spreading over his face.

(It's embarassing, Jonathan says whenever he is faced with what he calls Ronan's Dumb Fond Face. We've been together for too long for you to still look at me this way, Jonathan says. Ronan never mentions that Jonathan's face looks just as dumb when it's scrunched up with fondness. He's sure that Jon and Tommy tell him that enough as it is.)

"Yeah, I've got a boyfriend in LA. We met back when we were both working in DC."

"DC? Was he reporting there?"

"No, He was a speechwriter for Obama."

Fergus' eyebrows rise upwards. "Oh, see, now _that's_ cool."

Ronan shrugs. Smiles.

They bump into Tammy, who goes off listing things they still have to do tonight.

* * *

"To be honest, I was pretty surprised when we met and you didn't turn out to be a pompous Hollywood guy."

"Tammy, I feel appalled that you'd ever even _think_ of me like that!"

"Well, I only was convinced of your humanity when I found out you were dating one of the Pod Save America guys. Thought that if you managed to bag one of those, you had to be at least mostly alright."

"Honestly, I take that as a compliment"

* * *

It's late September and Ronan is stressed.

He can tell that David Remnick can tell he's stressed.

They're in Remnick's office, discussing things that need to be fact checked still, and Ronan is stressed about the work that still needs to be done, and that one car he feels like he keeps seeing around his apartment complex, and a source has been impossible to reach, and he has slept about four hours in the past three days.

David talks in his calm, calculated manner and it almost calms Ronan down, for a moment, then he sees the list of things that still needs to be done, and he can feel himself panicking again, and he doesn't remember when he last ate, too buried in his laptop, and - 

His phone rings.

It's not the source he's waiting to hear from, but Jonathan.

David raises an eyebrow. Glances at the caller ID. Shoos Ronan out of the office and says, "come back in half an hour when you've calmed down. And for god's sake, get something to eat."

So Ronan hurries outside picks up the phone.

(It's a secret to him how Jonathan always knows when to call, when to pick up the phone, when Ronan is spiralling. Years together, and Ronan still hasn't figured out how he does it.)

"When did you last eat?" Jonathan asks, and, "how about you get pasta from that place down the street that you like?" and, "when do you get off work so we can face time?"

And then, as Ronan hurries to get himself a late lunch or early dinner, Jonathan talks about Pundit and Brunch with Emily and the last Episode of Lovett or Leave It, and one sentence after the other, Ronan feels his brain quiet down, his breathing even out a bit.

When he returns to Remnick's office with a more or less calm head, a full stomach and a lot of ideas where they could go from here, Remnick laughs and shakes his head.

"One day, you're gonna introduce me to this boyfriend of yours. He truly works wonders on your nerves."

* * *

"Didn't know you listened to PSA."

"Huh?"

"Your shirt. Didn't know you were into politics."

"I literally worked at the White House before I got into reporting."

"Oh, true. So, do you, like, know the hosts of the podcast from back then? Must've bumped into at least one of them at some point, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

* * *

"So, Ronan, you're not in Oxford a lot, are you? What is it that you do in the States, exactly?"

The guy Ronan has been talking to for the past five minutes now at this random Oxford-mingle-function his friends have dragged him to radiates pompousness. He has managed to mention his apartment in Paris only four times now, the watch on his wrist shimmering with every move of his hand. Everything about him signals 'I'm rich, I'm smart, I'm better than you in every way'.

(Ronan is so, so bored. Generally, Oxford people are really nice, but at this particular funcion, everyone seems to be a dick. He's been entertaining himself for the past half hour thinking of ways to describe everyone to Jonathan on the phone later that evening. He figures that the worse the person, the more he'll make Jonathan laugh with their description, and this guy really takes the cake.)

"I'm a reporter," he says, because he's not impolite. If there's one thing he's learnt in his life, it's feigning interest for a conversation he couldn't care less about.

"Reporting? Ah yes, someone mentioned you winning some kind of prize. Local, I guess?"

Ronan hides his smile. He's not one to brag, but desperate times (an asshole) require desperate measures (bragging about your own accomplishments).

"Yeah," he says, "I won a Pulitzer for my work at The New Yorker."

The guy raises an eyebrow. "Not bad," he says.

Ronan grins. "Yeah. Also, I couldn't help notice the Pod Save America sticker on your laptop earlier today. You a fan?"

"Oh, yeah, they're great. Not that many Brits know them, but I've known them for a while, are you a listener?"

"Hm, whenever I have time, which is not that often, honestly."

"You know, you really should make time, it's interesting to hear what they think about what's going on. One of them has a more comedy-style show, but that's not really my style. Maybe you'd be more into that, though?"

"Oh, yeah. I've been on that one."

* * *

"Ronan, hi! Haven't seen you in ages! Remember when you used to date Lovett from Speechwriting? Hah, good times, right?"

"Oh, we're still together."

"Really? What's he up to these days?"

"Hosts a podcast with Favreau and Vietor."

"Damn, _nice_. Good catch, Farrow!"

* * *

The last stop on Ronan's book tour feels like any other. It's in LA, and it's pretty much like every other event before, with smart and not-so-smart questions and great feedback from readers and a generally chill atmosphere.

Once the readers leave the venue, Ronan and his publishers and the friends who came to see him all move on to a room in the back where there is food and drinks for everyone

Ronan's talking to Tommy when he feels a hand on his back, and he turns, and there is Jonathan.

He grins at Ronan, and Ronan grins back at him, and Tommy claps a hand on Ronan's shoulder.

"Your fond faces are showing. It's gross."

"Oh please, like you could ever get enough of this," Jonathan says, and there's laughter in his voice.

Tommy smirks at him.

Jonathan winks.

Ronan just laughs at their conduct.

"Talk to you later," he says and waves at Tommy as he drags Jonathan away to introduce him to his publisher.

"So this is the boyfriend I've heard so much about?"

Jonathan turns to look at Ronan. "What are you telling people about me?"

Ronan winks at him, then turns back to the publisher. "He's my fiancé now, officially."

The guy laughs.

"Of course. How could I forget the nerdiest proposal of the year."

They talk some more, and then someone else talks to Ronan, and then there's a toast, and more talking.

By the time people are leaving, Ronan is just about ready to fall asleep on his feet. It's been an exhausting few days, weeks, even, and just thinking about having to get into a Lyft to get home makes him consider just sleeping on one of the sofas.

He's saying goodbye to the last of his friends, and then there's a hand between his shoulder blades.

"Come on then, let's get you home"

He turns to look at Jonathan, and watches his face scrunch up in that very dumb way that he knows is mirrored on his own face.

"Yeah", he murmurs, and lets himself be guided outside towards a waiting car. "Let's go home."


End file.
